Simon Restaurant and Lounge

I don’t have many regrets in life, but eating brunch at Simon is one of them. It was quite possibly one of the biggest wastes of money I’ve ever spent at a restaurant. Mediocre food along with mediocre service made for a poor dining experience at a place know for brunch. It’s a combination of buffet style, where you get your own food at a buffet line, and butler style, where you place an order with your server and they bring the order to you.

The Easter brunch I went to consisted of average paninis, sushi that was the equivalent of that found at the local grocery store, bruschetta, crepes, pastries and cereal.

Of the higher-end items served butler style, the french toast with its crispy exterior was the best. Less than stellar items included the lobster havarti benedict that was sorely lacking any lobster. I could only find a couple specs of crustacean between the bread base of the benedict. Continuing the disappointment were the dry ribs and even dryer jalapeno cornbread. The kid’s pancake was dense and had an almost rubbery texture. Ham and roast beef was also available and as good as any you’d find at a $8.99 buffet downtown. Desserts were lackluster and even someone like me who craves sweets, couldn’t stomach more than a couple bites.

For the price we paid for a family of three, I couldn’t help but think about all the other places — buffet or a la carte — that would have been much more satisfying.